Airplane toy



S. l. BERGER May 12, 1931i AIRPLANE TOY Filed sept. 17. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR amael l eryer' V 'roRNEY5- May 12, 1931- s. l. BERGER 1,804,737

AIRPLANE -TOY Filed sept. 17. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 39 INVENTOR ,f6 ,vamae Ze'ryer BYOQQM'Q'LMM,

Patented MaylZ, 1,931 l miran STATES PATIENT OFFICE SAMUEL I. BERGER, F-NEWAR-K, ERSEY i Application filed September 17, 1928. Serial No. 306,460.

The toy of the present inventionl is of the simplicity andy ruggedness of construction type in Whichaminiature airplane, normally are attained and in which the accurate asresting on the ground, is connectedV to,L one sembly of the various movable units .which end ofa normally inclined counter-vveighted make up ythe completed toy` is facilitated and beam o rflever rotatably fulcrumed intermeexpedited.

'diate -itsends on the top of a stationary col- With .the above noted and other objects in umn. The airplane motor drives a toy pro- View, the invention consists in certain novel peller which moves Athe plane over the features of construction and combinations ground at such speed that the centrifugal andY arrangements of parts Which Will be force developed coupled With the lifting lacvn iorefully hereinafter described-and pointed e() vtion of the propeller is sulilcient to overcome out in the claims.

gravity and cause the plane to rise and fly in The invention may lbe more fully undery'af circular path, .turning the lever about the stood from the following description in conycolumn. L nection with the accompanying drawings,

xtljhe'inventionmore specificallyV represents wherein: 65 an improvement over the airplane toy dis,- Fig. 1 isa perspective View showing the closed-in the copending application of Louis toy in flight and illustrating diagrammati- MarX, Serial No. 156,554, lil'ed December cally in dotted lines the erratic action as Well 23rd, 1926. In this application a toy airas the unusual path of travel of the airplane.

20 plane. of the general character described Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sec- 70 above is Yoperable to perform stunts-such as tional vieW through the airplane.

nosediving and looping Vthe loop While in Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional vievv taken `flight.. A approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig.l 2,

An object ofthis invention is to provide this vievv showing the airplane' at rest cou- 25 a toy ofthis character in which the realism pled tothe beam or lever. y 75 ol' the simulated stuntnliying is materially Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but shoW-' enhanced, the toy plane, either in normal -ing` the airplane in flight and in a posiflight or during the course of looping the tion Where it is about to loop the loop.

yloop or performing some other unusual opg Fig. 5 is asectional detail on the line 5 5 30 eration .accurately simulating a correspondof Fig. 3; 80 'ing maneuver yof a full-sized airplane. Fig. 6 is a similar view on the line 6 6 Another object is to provide a toy airplane of Fig. 3. in which no ratclietis associated Withthe Fig. 7 is anr enlarged partially vbroken spring driving motor and` a simple, pracbottom plan View of the airplane. 3 5 ltical form of automatic clutch serves toc Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 7 but show- 85 couple the motor and propeller shafts Aof 4ing only a fragment thereof, and indicatthev toy. `Such a clutch not only automatiing the position occupied by the counter cally uncouples these shafts'durin'g Winding shaft eithervvhen the motor is being Wound but permits the propeller to spin by its molor after the motor spring is spent, and mentum after the spring motor has been Y Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken 90 kfully unwound. Thus the landingfof the approximately ontheline 9`9 of Fig. 2.

airplane is rendered more realistic, since Referringto Fig. l in ageneral Way the vunder ordinary( conditions the propeller is lreference numeral 10 designates the central still turning- When the toy comes to, rest, as supporting column upon the' top of Whicha opposed to prior devices in which the-pro'- lever or b eam 11 is rotatably fulcrume'd, this 95 pellerk stops] when the motor spring Vwas lever preierably being formed in tyvo hinged spent, and While the `plane Wasstill in-the Vsections 11a, 112i and carrying at its m1dd le air.y Y 'a depending fulcruming and swivellinv pin Other and more general objects are topro- 1101 `rotatably mounted in'V thetop o the 5.0 .ride a-toyiof. thisharacter in ywhich..both column 10.` f i i Detachably connected to opposite ends handle 43 back and forth the propeller of the lever are the motor driven toy airplane 12 and the counterweighted toy aircraft 13, the latter preferaby simulating a dirigible and being slightly lighterthan the former, which normally rests upon the ground and maintains the lever in a tilted position with the dirigible fully elevated.

The construction of the dirigible, the beam and the supporting pin 11o may be ysubstantially similar to those disclosed in the prior application above referred to,save` that the angularly offset extremity 14 of the airplane supporting end of the beam is of tubular formation and provided with a .longitudinal slot 15 therein (Fig. 6).

The present invention is more especially concerned with the construction of the airplane and the means for attaching it to the beam.

The airplane body 16 is of elongated hollow form, preferably open at the bottom. 1t mounts a wing member 17, a figure 18 in simulation of an aviator and is equipped with the usual toy landing gear, 19, propeller 20, propeller shaft 21, stabilizers 22 and rudder 23.

rrExtending transversely of the interior of the body near the rear end thereof is a bearing plate 24`and toward the forward end of the body of a pair of parallel frame plates25 and'26 extend transversely ofthe body and are preferably connected by an integral bridging piece 27. The propeller shaft 21 journalled in the front wall 28 of the body and in the frame plate 25 is axially alinedV with the main shaft 29 of the spring motor, such vmotor shaft being journalled inzthe plates 26 and 24 and having a rearward extension 30 projecting beyond the tail of the plane and bent to provide a winding key 3].

Motor shaft 29 is encircled by the usual coiled torsional spring 32, the latter being anchored at one end to the frame plate 24 and at its other end within a drum 33 fixed to the motor shaft 29. y l

The operative connections between the motor shaft and the propeller shaft 21 include a` speed multiplying .gear train. consisting of a gear 34 fixed to the drum 33 and meshing with a pinion 35 on a counter-shaft 36 journalled in the plates 25 and 26. The opposite end of this counter shaft carries a gear 37 meshing with a pinion 38 on the propeller shaft.

The means for locking the propeller 4against vmovement as the motor spring is wound, includes a slide rod 39,the forward end of which is looped back providing` a pair of forward runs slidable in the front .wall 28 of therbody. Rod 39 at its rear end is provided-with :1n-offset 41 working in a slot '142 in the body proper and carrying an operating handle 43. Thus by shifting the blocking end 40 of the slide rod 39 may be selectively projected or retracted.

A novel feature of the invention is the manner in which I permit free Awinding of the motor spring while the propeller is locked, without the use of ratchets, pawls or any similar mechanism which is likely to get out of order. The desiredbresult is accomplished by utilizing the entire counter-shaft unit consisting of the shaft 36, gear 37 and pinion 35 as an automatic clutch and by forming the forward bearing for the counter-shaft, to wit, the bearing in the plate 25 in the form of a diagonal slot 44 (see Fig. 9).

By virtue of thisA arrangement, with the propeller locked, rotation of the motor shaft 29 in a direction to wind the spring` 32, will serve to cant the counter-shaft from its nor- .mal longitudinal position of Fig. 7 to the inclined position of Fig. 8, in which the gear 37 is disengaged from the pinion 38. As soon as the winding key 31 is released, however, the actionof the gear 34 on the pinion 35 will tend torestore the counter shaft to the position of Fig. 7 and to move the gear 37 into mesh with the pinion 38. With the parts in this position the propeller will automatically be turned, as soon as the propeller blocker 40 is withdrawn.

The unique automatic clutching arrangement afforded by the shaft unit and its special mounting in the plate 25 serves an additionally useful purpose in that it permits the propeller to continue to spin by its own momentum even after the spring 32 has been fully unwound and is transmitting no further power through the speed multiplying gear train. As soon as the motor shaft stops there'will be no further torque transmitted through the pinion 35 in a direction to hold Vthe counter-shaft unit in propeller shaft lcoupling position. Consequently the end of the counter-shaft which carries the gear 37 will drop by gravity into the bottom of the slot 44, thereby disengaging gear 37 fromA pinion 38, so that `the propeller shaft will now spin free without carrying the load of the gear train. In the vevent that the countershaft has .a tendency to vstick and does not fall by gravity it will be automatically kicked into the bottom of the slot bythe continued rotation ofV the-pinion 38 when the gear 34 stops turning.

Fixed laterally upon the body of the airplane is a generally box-like sheet metal member providing a pair of parallel bearing plates 46 in which a laterally projecting shaft 47 has a slidable bearing. The

Y outer end of this shaft fits within the sleeve The operation of lug 49 on the shaft 47 limits the insertion of the shaft into the sleeve. Shaft 47 at its opposite end carries a ring gear 5() adapted to mesh atV certain times with gear teeth 51 formed on the drum 33.

With the airplane in its normalposition of rest and with the shaft 47 inclining downf wardlyfrom the end of the sleeve 15 the airplane body and its associated casing tends to slide outwardly on the shaft 47 and cause alug 52 on the gear 50 to enter a suitable slot-53 in the frame plate 46 whereby the airplane is held against rotation on the shaft 47. v'flNhein however, the airplane is in flight, as shown in Fig. 4, and has reached a height where the arm 47 inclines upwardly from the end of thesleeve, the airplane will slide inwardly on the shaft 47, disengaging the lug 52 from its notch 53 and'causing the engagement of the gear 50 with the gear teethy 51. ln this latter setting a planetary motion is hadwhich causes the airplane to revolve 'about its own central transverse a-Xis.I In this planetary motion the gear 50 servesV as the sun gear while the gear 51 serves as the planet and carries the entire lairplane body with it in its travel around the sun gear. f y

the' device is substantially as follows: Y

Having assembled the beam on the4 column Vand detachably engaged the counter-ballanoq ing dirigible 13 and the airplane 12 with the respective ends of the beam, the airplane motor is wound. Prior to suoli winding operation, slide rod 39'will be pushed forward yto block rotation of the propeller and the-counter-shaft 36 will act automatically in the manner 'above described to permit free winding of the motory spring 'without the transmission of power to the propeller shaft. After the motor is wound the slide rod 40 is retracted and the airplane starts to travel in a circular path, developing centrifugal force, which, assisted by the counter-balancing weight at the other end of the beam, quickly causes the plane to rise from the ground.

With the plane at rest on the ground and during the course of its upward travel the engagement of the tongue 52 and slot 53 prevent any rotation of the airplane about the shaft 47 and the plane is consequently maintained at a normal and realistic angle of flight. When the plane reaches a height where the shaft 47 inclines upward instead of downward, the plane will slide inwardly on this shaft as shown in Fig. 4, thereby disengaging tongue 52 from slot 53 and causing intermeshinp of the gears 50, 51 which will result in rotation of the plane on its main transverse axis in a realistic simulation of an airplane looping the loop.

During this erratic maneuver the airplane loses sufficient momentum so that it again slightly descends to the position shown in Fig. 3 in which position lug 52 again becomes operative to hold the plane in a normal angle of flight until suflicient speed is again developed to causea second stunt to be performed.

The provision of lug 52 is particularly important in that it obviates the possibility of the plane travelling in an orbital path either on? its tail, on its nose or upside down and assures the proper angle of the plane during the periods when it is not looping the loop. The rise ofthe plane lfrom the ground, its landing and its normal flying are of necessity carried out in a lifelike and realistic manner.

Undery ordinary conditions ythe spring motor will have become fully unwound before the plane lands, due to the momentum and centrifugal force developed by the plane. rThe use of the automatic clutching mechanism, however, permits the propeller shaft to rotate for a considerable length of time on its own momentum after the lmotor has ceased to function and insures landing of the plane lwith the propeller still turning,

as. opposed to the unrealistic action of prior toys in which the propeller stops with the motor.

In the foregoing descriptionv I have attempted to avoid .the recitation of obviously conventional details, such, for instance, as

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the manner of attaching the Vvarious parts of the sheet metal toy together by theusual f slot and tongue connections and have furthermore avoided precise descriptions ofthe toy landing gear and similar mechanism which is subject to a great variety of structural changes.

Itwillthus be seen that there is herein ydescribed a device in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and

which device in its action attains thetvarious objects of the invention and is'well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As 'many changes ,could be made in the above construction and.. many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing .from

the scopeithereof,-itA is intended that all vmatter `contained in the above description or shown in thev accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and no in a limiting'sense. t Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis as follows:

1.- A self-propelled air-craft toy,includ ing a support, a beam rotatable and tiltable thereon, a ytoy aircraft yon one end of the beam, means counter-balancing said beam, a motor operated propeller means for causing vthe aircraft to rise and fly in a circular path,

gravitationally released ymeans to rotateA the air-craft on its transverseaxis Awhen a predetermined angularity of the beam is obtained and means `preventing such rotation in other positions of the beam. Y

2; A self-propelled air-craft toy including a supporting column, a beam rotatably fulcrumed thereon, a toy airplane at one end of the beam, means counter-balancing said beam, motor-operated propeller means on the air-craft to causeit to rise and fly in a circular path, means normally sustaining the air-'craft at a realistic angle of flight and means operable at certain angularities of the beam to rotate the air-craft about its transverse axis.

3. A self-propelled air-craft toyV including a support, a counter-balanced beam rotatable thereon, an airplane detachably connected to one end of the beam, motor driven means to propel the air plane in forward flight, casually operable planetary gear means engageable to rotate the plane on its transverse axis and means normally locking the plane against such rotation.

4. A self-propelled air-craft toy including a support, a counter-balanced beam rotatable thereon, an airplane detachably connected to one end of the beam, motor driven means to propel the airplane in forward flight, casually operable planetary gear means to rotate the plane on its transverse axis, means normally locking the plane against such rotation, the planetary gear means including a sun-gear detachably fixed to the end of the beam, the airplane having limited sliding movement on the end of the beam and the stop V-means including inter-engaging stop devices on the airplane and sun gear.

. 5. As a new element in a toy of the class described, a toy airplane including a spring motor driven propeller, a laterally projecting shaft fixed to the airplane and having limited sliding movement relative thereto, a

gear on the shaft adapted to intermesh With a motor-driven gear of the airplane to cause rotation of the airplane on its transverse axis, and means normally operative to prevent such rotation.

6. As a new element in a toy of the class described, a toy airplane including aspring motor driven propeller, a laterally project- 'ing shaft fixed to the airplane and vhaving limited sliding movement relative thereto, a sun gear on the shaft adapted to intermesh with a movable planet gear of the motor to cause rotationof the airplane on its transversel axis, and means normally operative to prevent such rotation, such means being .gravitationally controlled by the angularity of the shaft. Y

7 A toy airplane of the character adapted i to be attached to one end of a counterbaling aigear' to act as a planet while the plane is looping the loop, a laterally extendin shaft adapted to be fixed to the beam en and longitudinally of Which'the airplane has limited sliding movement, a gear fixed to this shaft and acting as a sun gear when the airplane is slid in one direction, and means to retain the airplane againstrotary movement on the shaft whenY the planet and sun gears are out of mesh.

8. A toy airplane of the character adapted to be attached toone end of a counterbalanced rotatably fulcrumed beam and to loop the loop While flying in a circular path, said airplane. comprising a spring motor including a gear to act as a planet While the plane is loopingtheloop, a laterally extending shaft adapted to be fixed to the beam: end and longitudinallypf Whichzthe airplane has limited sliding movement, a gear fixed to said laterally extending shaft and acting as a sun gear when the airplane isslid in one direction, and means to retainthe airplane against rotary movement on the shaft when the planet and sun gears are out of mesh, said means comprising rotation blocker devices fixed relative to the airplane and shaft and interengaged as the airplane is in one extreme position lengthwise of the shaft.

9, Means for attaching a stunt-performing airplane toy to the end of a counterbalanced rotary bea-m, said means including a slotted sleeve at the beam end, a shaft projecting laterally from the airplane body, rmeans on the shaft received inthe slot to prevent rotation of the shaft in the sleeve and means on the shaft engaging the end of the sleeve to limit the insertion of the shaftthereinto.

y Signed at Newark in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey this` 14th day of September A. vD. 1928.

SAMUEL I. BERGER.

airplane comprising a spring motor includ- 

